Trying to Believe
by Mulderette
Summary: Carlos and Ty share another late night talk about Kylie.


Title: Trying to Believe (Post Scene to A Ticket Grows In Brooklyn)  
  
Author: Lynne Facella  
  
Email: lynne1919@aol.com  
  
Spoilers: Spoilers through current season five.  
  
Disclaimer: All characters are the property of John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero. I wish they were mine but unfortunately they're not.  
  
Note: I like to think that Ty is playing a part with the storyline involving Carlos and his daughter, which is what I'm trying to show with these little post-scenes. Thanks for all your feedback on the first one. It was very much appreciated.   
  
Summary: Carlos and Ty share another late night talk about Kylie.   
  
******  
  
"That's what you get."   
  
Carlos hadn't reacted when Doc had uttered those words then walked off like he didn't have a care in the world. He had still been too upset to think about anything except the fact that his mother hadn't gotten off the plane...that all his hopes had been dashed in the blink of an eye. Now though, as he walked up the stairs of his apartment building, his thoughts returned to Doc. He didn't know what the hell was wrong with the guy these days. One moment everything was fine, like with Doc going out of his way to arrange for Carlos to be able to tell his story to the media, but then the next moment...he was just...well crazy was the only way to describe it. Carlos knew that Alex's death had hit Doc hard, but he couldn't keep on this way. The guy really needed some help. Mumbling to himself under his breath, Carlos entered his and Ty's apartment and slammed the door behind him, much louder than he had intended.   
  
"Carlos." Ty came out from the kitchen carrying a glass of water. "I..." He looked past his roommate, expecting to see Carlos' mom, but there was no one there. He then took a good look at Carlo's face and he could see that things had not gone well. "What happened?" he asked softly.  
  
Carlos shook his head and ran his hand back through his hair. "I should have known...I just should have known." He began to pace around the living room, then stopped to pick up the first thing he saw, the remote control to the television set. He threw it across the room, feeling a slight bit of satisfaction as it bounced against the wall, then clattered to the floor. "Dammit! I should have known!"   
  
"Come on, Carlos. Talk to me." Ty placed the glass of water down on the coffee table and approached his roommate, attempting to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but Carlos shrugged him away.   
  
"Don't, Ty. Just don't. I...I don't feel like talking right now."  
  
Ty debated on whether he should try again to console Carlos, but decided it might not be the best time . "Sure man...whatever you want. I...Listen, I'll just leave you alone, okay? I...I'll be in my room if you decide you want to talk..." He gave his friend a long look then headed into his room, closing the door quietly behind him.   
  
Carlos watched Ty go and had a slight twinge of conscience, but he just didn't feel like sharing his feelings right now. He should have known not to get his hopes up the way he had. His emotions had been really taking a beating these days and this was just the icing on the cake. He knew there were people like that in the world, scavengers, who read news stories and preyed on people who were in dire straits, but he just hadn't thought it would happen to him. To think that some woman had heard about Kylie's situation and deliberately taken advantage of it...he just couldn't believe it. The only word he could think of for a person like that was immoral. Kylie needed help so desperately. His beautiful child, the one part of his life that he could truly be proud of, was going to die if they couldn't get her the bone marrow transplant she needed so badly. To think someone had calculatedly used the situation to her advantage, it just tore him up inside.   
  
He sat silently for a little while, then got up from the couch and walked over to the living room window. He stared up at the night sky searchingly. It was as clear a night as he could remember, bright stars flickering everywhere, like tiny beacons of hope. "I know I haven't always done the right thing...and I certainly don't deserve any favors from you," he whispered as he closed his eyes and bowed his head. "But...Kylie...she's so little...so innocent...she's the best part of me and...I just...I don't think you should take her away...not now...not like this...please..." His voice broke and a tear trickled down his cheek, followed by another. "Please, God...please help my little girl..."  
  
He was startled by a sudden creaking sound and looked up quickly at Ty who looked like had had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.   
  
"Carlos...I...I'm sorry, man," he said, quickly turning to make his way back to his room. "I just wanted to get a drink. I didn't mean to disturb you. I'll leave you alone."   
  
"Ty, wait. You don't have to leave."  
  
"Are you sure?" Ty asked hesitantly, looking back at Carlos with an uncertain look in his eyes. "I understand if you want to be alone..."  
  
"No. It's okay." Carlos smiled faintly as Ty sat down on the couch then walked over to join him. The two of them had been doing this quite often these days, having late night discussions about everything that was going on with Kylie. It helped to know that Ty was there for him when he needed to vent and also knew enough not to push.   
  
Ty raised his water glass to his lips and took a sip then glanced over at his roommate. Damn. He just hated seeing Carlos like this. It seemed he was just taking one hit after the other. It just wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to Carlos and it wasn't fair to that precious little girl who had never hurt anyone.  
  
"She didn't show up."  
  
"Your mother?" Ty looked back at Carlos, his eyes filled with sympathy.   
  
"You mean the woman who claimed to be my mother..." Carlos sighed. "I should have known better, Ty...I really should have, but...I really believed her. I really thought..." he trailed off and slumped dejectedly, staring down at the floor. "I just...how could she do that, Ty? How?"   
  
Ty shook his head and looked back at Carlos. "I don't know, Carlos...There are just a lot of bad people in the world. You'd like to have more faith in mankind, but...Sul and I see it every day..."   
  
"Yeah I know you do...even so...it doesn't make it easier to handle..."  
  
"No...no I guess it doesn't," Ty replied with a sigh. He was at a loss as to what to say, what he could do to help Carlos through this. The devastation was written all over his friend's face and there wasn't a thing Ty could do to help him.   
  
"I really thought this might help," Carlos said slowly. "That maybe we'd get the break we needed, but...I don't know...it just doesn't look good..."  
  
"You can't give up, Carlos," Ty stated. "It's still early. Lots of people are being tested. Something good can still happen...you have to believe that it will."  
  
Carlos nodded as he looked back at Ty. He envied his ability to always be able to look at the positive side of things. "I'm trying... It just isn't always easy though."  
  
"I know its not," Ty said quietly. "But I have a good feeling about this, Carlos...I really think that Kylie is going to be okay."   
  
A faint smile touched the corners of Carlos' lips as he allowed some of Ty's optimism to wash over him. "You know...I'm really glad that we became roommates."  
  
Ty grinned, relieved that Carlos' mood was changing, even just a little bit. "It almost didn't happen though, remember? After Christopher told you I was gay."  
  
"Yeah, I remember. Christopher was a jerk..." Carlos replied, his cheeks flushing at the memory. It wasn't a time he was particularly proud of. If he'd gone with his initial reaction, he and Ty would have never become roommates...they never would have become friends. "I was a jerk..."  
  
"You weren't a jerk, Carlos," Ty stated, then looked chuckled softly. "Well maybe you were a little bit of a jerk..." He thought back to the night that Carlos had discovered Ty in bed with a woman...that woman had been Alex although Carlos hadn't known it at the time. "Anyway...none of that's important right now...what's important is that Kylie gets well. That's all that matters."   
  
Carlos nodded, his eyes filled with emotion. "You're a good friend, Ty."  
  
"That goes both ways, man." The two men sat in silence for a few moments, before Ty slowly stretched then got to his feet. "I could go for some hot chocolate. You want some?"  
  
"Sure, that sounds good." Carlos nodded and watched as Ty headed into the kitchen, then his thoughts went back to his daughter. He hoped that she was having a restful night, dreaming sweet dreams of elves, reindeer and Santa Claus...the kinds of things a little girl should be dreaming of this time of the year. And he hoped that Ty was right...that things would soon take a turn for the better and that they would have a Merry Christmas after all... 


End file.
